In A Room In The Ziggurat
by Duchess Stagsleap
Summary: Originally a Role Play written by 3 people. Inertia Red decides to go on an adventure, but little does she know the chain of events to follow! *Chapter 3 Uploaded!*
1. Default Chapter

This fic was originally a RolePlay written in tiny chunks by 3 people. This story DOES NOT follow events in Metropolis besides the opening of the Ziggurat. Tima is human. ENJOY!!!  
  
Players:  
  
S = Duchess Stagsleap  
  
X = Xalan  
  
S: *Interia Red, the other daughter of Duke Red, lays on her large canopy bed staring out the panaramic window.  
  
The celebrations for the completion of her father's Ziggurat are going on, and Inertia lays in solitude as she watches the golden fireworks outside.  
  
I wish I could be with poppa....I wish I wasn't sick.....I wish father was less paranoid about me getting ill....  
  
Inertia had been confined to her room after the doctor has annouced she had the beginnings of the flu. Interia scowled as she thought of her sister, Tima.  
  
Tima gets everything and anything she wants....  
  
Interia wondered about the extensive festivities that were going on at the moment when she had an impulsive urge.... She opened the large doors to her sleeping chamber...looked around to make sure no guards were present, and headed down to the extra-elite restuarant that served the elegant pastries that had been denied to her ever since her sickness....  
  
Maybe I can annoy Rock too....That would be fun....I hope I don't run into Skunk...(he's such a weirdo)...or even poppa for that matter...........*  
  
X: Creeping though the hallways, Interia kept an eye out for anyone who might herd her back to her bedroom. She could almost smell the pastries now, and taste the soft, flaky, buttery crust, with cool icing pored over and fruity pastes inside.......  
  
It was such thoughts that allowed her to collide straight into Enmy as she turned a corner, the maid/nanny gasping in surprise and shock.  
  
"Ms. Interia! You should be in bed!"  
  
S: *Inertia just stared.....crap.....She had to think of something fast....*  
  
"I-I-I....I heard a noise.."  
  
*Inertia spied a cleaning robot polishing the marble floor. She watched her nanny with her emerald green eyes... Just waiting for that chance to hop over to the robot and bust it's ettiquite switch so it would malfunction and cause a disturbance*  
  
X: Enmy crossed her arms, the Duke's youngest daughter was known for getting into various sorts of trouble, and it was usually up to her to keep the young girl in check.  
  
"Ms. Interia, really! I..." the brown eyed nanny would have contiued, but not for the servant running up to the both of them, gasping for breath as he rattled off some instructions having very little to do with anything. (my explantion, to lazy to think up a real reason, lol!)  
  
Interia took that chance to casually slide over to the cleaning robot and flip the swtich located on the back of the shoulder.........  
  
S: ...There was a loud pop follwed by crashing, as the large robot went totally haywire, knocking over antiques and vases and other expensive objects. Inertia needed to get out of there fast - Her father's floor would soon be swarming with Marduks.  
  
Giggling hysterically, the little blonde-haired child ran down the velvet staircases to the floor which was occupied by the restaurant, "The Hawkeye".  
  
Inertia smiled as she surveyed the luxurious scene infront of her: Gentlemen in the finest suits deep in conversation, beautiful ladies in stunning ballgowns, and well-made waiter robots. The walls were all glass, so one could see almost all of the Main Gate below.  
  
Inertia spied the doors to the kitchens. She had to be careful - Children were usually not allowed in such a fine place, and if her father caught her, she would be in for severe punishment.  
  
The spolied daughter's ears were filled with the cheery sounds of laughter, soft talking, and plates and glasses clinking as she ran towards the kitchen. Light chamber music came from a corner of the restaurant.  
  
Once in the insanely large kitchen, Interia wandered around steathly until she found the dessert area.  
  
"WOW!" Interia couldn't believe how much sugar was infront of her: Expensive marzapan sculptures, pastries from all over the world, geletain molds, and truckloads of chocolate. Tima would be sooo jealous if she knew...but I won't tell her..She's sure to tell poppa...then I'll really be in for it...  
  
Inertia grabbed a Napoleon (A sweet french pastry), and began to savor the rich custard and buttery layers..................  
  
(OOC - Man...I'm hungry now...)  
  
X: (ooc- Arrghh! now you made me hungry! [pic])  
  
..and nearly dropped her pastery in surpise! (not quite, only a fool would drop such a delious buttery treat!) Ducking down behind the large table covered with pastries and other such goodies, and attempted to keep the sudden spurt of laughter out of her voice.  
  
For on the other side of the table, obliouvous to everything, Skunk was stuffing his own face with pasteries! It was so werid, funny and creepy at the same time. (Creepy faced dude!)  
  
Interia tried to think of why in the world he would be here in the kitchens, shouldn't he be out with her poppa at the opening ceremony which was due to start in only 20 mins?  
  
maybe he has a really, really sweet tooth too....... the blonde hair imp thought randomly, trying to stay hidden.  
(ooc- and this is getting odd.............)  
  
S: ((ooc - Weeee! This is fun!))  
  
Inertia nibbled at her treat as she slowly, carefully, got out of the kitchen. Inertia had forgotten that she always had to watch out for Skunk while she was indoors because the Secretary of Defense rarely, if ever, went outside.  
  
Sneaking behind counters and tables, Inertia made her way out of the kitchen, stuffing the pockets of her silk dress with chocolate and other little treats.  
  
I guess it's time to go...Enmy is probably looking for me...  
  
Inertia emerged into the restuarant at the bottom of a large staircase that led to a higher level of the restuarant. She spotted a cart with more deserts on them - and these were more lavish than the ones in the kitchen! She quickly gobbled up the petite fours and drank a sip of something that looked liked pepsi (uugghh- it was brandy).  
  
Inertia took a sharp breath in as she heard a familiar chuckle from the top level.  
  
Sitting at a lavish table covered with some the finest food ever imaginable, sat...Pres Boon...Mayor Ryon...an empty chair(Skunk)...and...(you guessed it)...Duke Red!! AND!!! - They were getting ready to leave! When they came down the staircase, they would see her!!!  
  
CRAP!  
  
Inertia had to get out of there fast. She really did not want to get spanked tonight...She dashed under a table, hoping to hide until they left....until Inertia remembered she had the flu...  
  
and  
  
she  
  
sneezed  
  
...... 


	2. Inertia's Busted

Okay - Here's Chapter 2!  
  
X: The probability of Mayor Rayon and Inertia sneezing at the same time was about a billion and three chances in one, but, lucky for her, such happened.  
  
The Mayor sneezed rather violently several times, causing waiters to scramble over towards him, asking how they could help. The surly Mayor waved them off, mumbling about "too much damn pepper on the food".  
  
The blonde haired child breath a sigh of relief, and tried to make herself as small as possible. The trio walked past the table, and towards the entrance of the restaurant, Skunk joining them there. Nibbling on the chocolates in her pocket, she kept her green eyes on them, and when they were out of sight, crawled from under the table, and sneaked out of the restaurant, and smacked right into.....  
S: ...ENMY!!! The ill-tempered nanny looked like she was about to spit ink. She grabbed Inertia by the ear and dragged her off, mumbling all the way about how naughty Inertia had been. Inertia tried her best to escape...She knew Enmy would tell her father EVERYTHING along with exaggerating as many points as possible....  
  
X: Even acting as innocent as possible didn't work this time. Enmy yanked hard on Inertia's ear every time she tried to say something, growling under her breath about bad little children who didn't mind their manners and stay where they were put.  
  
Inertia tried to think of anything to do to get out of *this* mess, but nothing was coming to mind...............  
  
S: As they neared Inertia's room, the young girl thought this was the end...she was doomed...the speeches downstairs had ended....she would never eat sweets again....  
  
But suddenly! - A shriek came from Tima's room.  
  
Tima came out, crying and screaming hysterically, and was clutching her left foot. As Enmy looked closer she screamed also. She remembered she was sewing up Tima's dress before she had went to look for Inertia, and one of her sewing needles must have fallen on the ground...and now that thick needle was half way into the heel of the sole of Tima's foot.  
  
Enmy let go of Inertia's very sore ear and ran to grab Tima. The Duke was going to sack (fire) her!!! Other servants on the floor rushed to Tima as soon as they heard the cries from the Duke's favorite daughter. At other times Inertia wouldn't have enjoyed being ignored like this. But tonight she didn't mind. In a great act of self discipline, Inertia walked into her room and closed the door when she could have ran away again.  
  
Inertia looked up at the clock.  
  
Her father would be there any minute.  
  
Inertia crawled under her large bed and hid in the corner. Her father would cuddle and spoil Tima all night and punish Inertia.... In the dusty darkness Inertia waited. Hiding under the bed wasn't much use; her father knew of all her main hiding places.......  
  
X: Even through the thick walls she could still hear Tima's screams. It was dark under the bed, (ooc-*smacks self* Duh...me when I'm brain-dead...) and warm. Inertia wrapped her arms around herself, wondering how long it would before her father came to find her.  
  
At the moment, life didn't seem like it could get much worse, Tima was going to get all of the attention tonight, and she was going to get spanked and lectured, and probably never allowed to eat candy, or pastries again. (ooc- which sure would depress me...)  
  
She could hear the commotion now, as her father arrived in the hallway.........  
  
S: *Inertia tried to make herself as small and possible and began to shiver with fear. She heard her father in the next room.....His voice seemed tired.....Maybe I won't get horribly punished after all if father is really tired...but what do I know? Inertia pushed up against the wall like she was trying to get through it and closed her eyes....*  
  
X: Time seemed to pass by slowly....it seemed like hours since Inertia had made her escape to her room, and the sanctuary of under her bed. She began to wonder, if with all of the fuss over Tima, maybe Emny forgot to tell Duke Red about her misbehavior.  
  
That thought was forgotten was she heard the heavy door to her room open, and her father's voice, quite and strained sounding, "Inertia?"  
  
S: *Inertia tensed up and held her breath. Everything inside her screamed to not come out from under the bed....Maybe her father had forgotten her hiding place? I doubt that...He designed the entire Ziggurat, didn't he? He knows every inch of this building.... Inertia held herself even tighter and barely breathed....But she couldn't keep from coughing.....*  
  
X: Covering her mouth with her hands, Inertia prayed that her father hadn't hear that cough...but not so. His footsteps trailed over to the edge of the bed, near the corner where she was hiding. There was silence for a moment, and then the blankets trailing over the edges of the bed, and thus hiding Inertia from view, were pulled back.  
  
The light flooded under the bed, making the blonde haired girl blink as her eyes tried to adjust to the suddenly bright light...........  
  
S: Inertia closed her eyes as she tried to scramble to the other edge of the bed...She quietly yelped as two hands gently pulled her out from under the safety of the bed......  
  
X: ...and sat her down on the edge of the bed. Hesitantly opening her eyes, she was a bit surprised to see that he father didn't look quite so angry with her as she'd thought he would be. Which meant......lecture.........  
  
S: Inertia hung her head as she thought of what she could say to her father.....When talking to the Duke about something serious, a couple rules had to be observed...:  
  
~No slang  
  
~Say every word perfectly  
  
~Don't say 'um'  
  
~Use big, mature words  
  
Inertia met her father's eyes, then quickly looked down again.*  
  
"H-How is Tima feeling?"  
  
X: Her father glanced over towards the closed door, where outside Emny's strained voice could be heard, tending to Tima, and snapping at the other servants. Turning back towards Inertia, he nodded, "Yes, Tima will be fine. Her foot is going to hurt for quite a while, but the doctor is looking at it now."  
  
Inertia halfway nodded also, wondering when her father would bring up the subject of her escape, and just what she'd say. A fit of coughing however - being under the bed must have aggravated her cold - drove that line of thought from her head.  
  
S: *Inertia was able to finally stop coughing*  
  
"Oh...Oh, I see."  
  
*Inertia stuck her hands in her pockets....She remembered the stolen chocolates....but they melted. She lifted her chocolate stained hands out of the pockets of her designer silk dress and tried to hide them behind her back...*  
  
X: But the melted chocolate stained hands did not pass the Duke's attention. Frowning, he motioned to Inertia to present them, front and center. Squirming a bit, she did so, careful not to get any of the sticky chocolate mess on her father's suit, he would hate it if she did so.......  
  
S: (ooc - stick M&ms in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds - they good)  
  
*Slowly she showed him...She hung her head as he scowled, then she tried to smile...but she couldn't...she knew this wasn't going very well.....*  
  
X: (ooc- melted m&m's? that sounds pretty good, I'm going to have to try that sometime. :)  
  
"Inertia. Where did you get those...chocolates?" The Duke asked very slowly, looking straight into Inertia's eyes. Not wavering from her father's stare, Inertia answered hesitantly, "The restaurant's kitchen downstairs....."  
  
S: *Inertia saw her father's glare harden and hung her head again....*  
  
"...I'm....I'm sorry...."  
  
X: She was trying to avoided looking at her father, she didn't want to see the stern look she was sure his face showed.  
  
"I hope you are sorry Inertia. Disobeying me, just to get chocolates? And while you're still ill with the flu?" Inertia didn't mention that it was the thrill of the moment, and yes, maybe for the pastries, that she'd done so.  
  
"I...I really am sorry, papa...." She ventured, wishing just for a moment she was like Tima, that her father would let her get away with anything........  
  
S: "I....won't do it again....."  
  
Inertia instantly regretted this. Her father remembered such promises and Inertia could never just stop being naughty......  
  
X: Evidently her father realized this as well, if the hard, stern look he gave her was anything to go off of. He hated it when people didn't tell him the truth, or made promises they couldn't keep.....  
  
"Really?" Her father was still looking at her with that hard look that made her squirm inside, "Somehow, little Inertia, I can't see you NOT getting in trouble....."  
  
S: *Inertia looked up at him with teary eyes - she was sobbing now....She couldn't think of anything to say.....so she just broke out crying hysterically......*  
  
X: Now, unless you're a complete jerk, no one likes to see cute little girls cry, particularly if they happen to be your daughter. Duke Red stiffed for a second as Inertia started sobbing, and then, quietly started to rub her back, a slight twinge of quilt running through him. For the most part, it was hard keeping his youngest daughter out of trouble, and while she could be aggravating, he was very fond of her, and hated to see either of his two daughters in tears.  
  
"Now, Inertia, it's not that bad." his voice softened, as Inertia's sobs got bigger.  
  
(ooc- hmm, I always saw Duke Red as stern, but very fond and sweet father, or at least, towards Tima. So... tried to play out on that part of personality...)  
  
S: *Inertia stopped crying for a moment*  
  
"Really?"  
  
*There was a beat, and Inertia hopped into her father's arms (let us just pretend the chocolate mess disappeared^^)*  
  
"I'm really sorry poppa."  
  
*Duke Red knew she meant it this time. Inertia quieted down and began to nod of to sleep when a loud crash was heard down the hall* 


	3. The Revolutionists Attack

Okay, I'm tired of all these super emotional fics that make you cry and feel horrible at the end. So, I am continuing with publishing these role plays. They are not supposed to be prize winning pieces, just easy reads that don't rack you over the hot coals of emotion. They are great to read when you have nothing to do. This first role-play is the first in a series. Soon, Miss Basil Oshko (from 'By Any Other Name') will appear in new fics, as well as Rock, and all those other characters that don't get much of the spotlight. Reviews are very much appreciated by the writers. Since this roleplay has already been well developed, no new suggestions are really needed. ^^  
  
Our Players:  
  
S: Duchess Stagsleap X: Xalan ~~~ X: Setting Inertia back down, Duke Red was on his feet and to the door in what seemed like seconds, Inertia right behind her father.  
  
Things were a disaster in the hallway. Servants running around screaming; evidently one of them had knocked into a large class case, which has caused the crashing noise. Spying duke Red, two random Murduks ran up towards him, "Duke Red, sir!"  
  
"What is it?!"  
  
"The Revolutionists, sir! Apparently, they chose tonight to revolt, while the main celebrations are going on. They've managed to make it into the lower levels of the Ziggurat, sir!"  
  
S: The Duke stayed relativly calm. "I want all Marduks and soldiers down to the lower level at once! Shoot the ringleaders, but use stun guns on the rest! And where the bloody hell is my Secretary of Defense?!"  
  
Even though Inertia was young, she had a vague idea about what was happening. She knew Skunk was in trouble and she had a good idea where he might be! At the moment, all she wanted was for the noise to go away and for her father to hug her again......  
  
X: (ooc- *giggles* Oh yes, we all know where Skunk is.. )  
  
...but it didn't seem likely that was going to happen any time soon. The Murduks shouted out the orders to others over hand-held intercoms, and were trying to keep the panicking servants from getting even more in the way.  
  
Staying close to the wall, fairly out of the way, Inertia watched everything with wide eyes. It seemed the events for this night were not over yet.....  
  
S: *An idea flashed through Inertia's head...If I go down and kill some of the leaders...Poppa is sure to forgive everything I did!!  
  
Inertia ran into her father's office, for she knew he kept a very powerful blaster in his bottom drawer of his desk....She got it out and began to run downstairs....*  
  
X: ..she made it to the first step before being grabbed by the back of her dress, and hauled back up. "Ms. Inertia!"  
  
Crud. It was Emny again. She must have some kind of radar or something......and she'd noticed the gun. Grabbing it out of Inertia hands, she glared, looking actually quite frightening. "Inertia! You know better than to play with firearms! And sneaking back downstairs AGIAN, after all of the trouble you've caused, and with those rebels down there, and ohhhhhhh!"  
  
S: *As Emny dragged her back to her room, Inertia tried to dodge her...*  
  
"Hey look!" *Inertia pointed to nothing down a passing hallway, hoping Emny would look, but she has wizened up to the little brat and didn't buy it. Inertia squirmed and made a huge fuss; she wanted to get downstairs! A plan quickly formed itself in her brain. He wriggled like a worm cut in half, and finally bit Emny on the hand. Enmy gasped and, as she let go of Inertia to spank her, Inertia grabbed the gun and ran as fast she could downstairs. She turned a few corners and eventually lost her nanny.... Inertia knew that Emny would tell the Duke everything that just happened and show him her bleeding hand...but Inertia was sure the heads of a couple leaders would help her father forgive her............  
  
X: Trying to be as quite as possible, Inertia snuck down the stairs than only moments before she'd made a similar escape. It was chaos in the lower levels of the Ziggurat. Small fires had broken out, and there were guards and rebels all over the place.  
  
Ducking behind a marble statue, Inertia gazed around with wide eyes, keeping a tight hold on the heavy firearm. Biting her lip uncertainty, keeping her eyes out for what could be one of the leaders of this whole mess.\  
  
S: *Atlas was leading the largest group towards the main stairway. Atlas had given strict orders to kill guards, but leave others alone. Atlas just wanted to take hostage of the aristocrats living in the higher levels. To snatch the Duke or one of his offspring would be the ultimate jackpot.....  
  
The group was now nearing Inertia's statue....Inertia quickly took aim and fired the powerful gun...Atlas got hit in the leg very badly and tried to find the unlucky soul who hit him...He saw the little blonde girl, but didn't recognize her at first....He raised his gun to blow away an approaching guard.....And looked back the girl. He knew now. There was no mistaking it....Marduks started to rush into the area as Atlas ran towards Inertia....  
  
X: Inertia froze for a second, she'd managed to hit the one man in the leg with her first shot, but he had scooped her up and thrown her over his shoulder before she managed to fire off another shot, the gun pulled from her grip.  
  
Wailing as loud as she could, she tried to make the man carrying her put her down. No such luck. Atlas, waving to one of his fellow rebels, made it past the guards, and out of the Ziggurat.  
  
S: Inertia kept crying as Atlas threw her in the back of a stolen police car. There, he tied up her hands and feet. A couple more of his thugs jumped in and Atlas was now speeding down to Zone-1.....  
  
Meanwhile, Enmy had told Red of his daughter's escape. He ran madly downstairs, guards at his heels and searched for her everywhere with no luck. Finally, an injured guard told him he saw a leader carry her out of the Ziggurat........ Back in his room, the Duke collapsed on his bed.....he thought of all the fun times he had had with his youngest daughter...her entire life flashed before his eyes...........  
  
X: Meanwhile, Inertia was trying her best to be annoying, kicking the back of the front seat. Any fear she'd felt at first was replace with interest at the new situation, and a bit of anger. How dare they capture and tie her up! Her father was going to be mad when he found out what had happened...she hadn't disobeyed him though, he'd never mentioned anything about not going down with his gun.  
  
"Knock it off you brat!" One of the thugs'd had it with Inertia's kicking the back of the seat, turning, he glared at her. "If ya don't knock it off we'll put ya in a bag and tie it up tight!"  
  
~~~  
  
All the guards in the Ziggurat had been notified of Inertia's capture, as had the Murduks, whom were preparing to invade Zone-1 and turn it upside down in order to find the Duke's youngest daughter.  
  
S: *Inertia didn't want to be tied up in a bag so she quieted down. * "My father will give the most horrible death imaginable!" she yelled.  
  
*********  
  
"Have every building checked! If someone gives you trouble, use stun guns. After you are finished searching your assigned zone, phone back to headquarters!" Rock's voice rang clear in the Imperial Marduk Hall in the Ziggurat. About 100 fully armed Marduks stood in super straight rows facing rock who was standing on a podium.  
  
X: Inertia stayed quiet for the rest of the ride, having to be content with glaring at the backs of the men's heads, wishing evil things upon them, thinking of what her father would do once he got his hands on them, they'd be sorry!  
  
The hover car came to a sudden, rough stop, throwing Interia off, and against the back of the front seat. "Jezz, what was that Atlas? Can't ya drive?" One of the thugs mumbled, rubbing his forehead from where it'd hit the windshield. "Shut up, let's get the girl out, and make it back to the headquarters, Duke Red'll have all of the Murduks and guards in the city out and down here looking for his precocious daughter. And we don't want to be around when they are."  
  
Pulling Inertia out of backseat, and tossing her over his shoulder, Atlas and the others snuck through the back allies, and various breaks in the walls, to come upon their great "headquarters". Tossing Inertia down in a corner, Atlas turned towards the others. "Get some of the guys out to keep and eye around, k?"  
  
S: Inertia sat in the corner and thought about her fate. What do they want? Would they kill her? Would they kill her father? These questions and more ran through her intelligent mind. She started to sob. She was tired and she wanted to be hugged. Her crying became a little louder.  
  
"SHUT UP, BRAT!!!"  
  
Inertia pushed herself farther into the corner. Something poked her. She looked behind her to see a old gun bayonet laying in the corner. Quickly, and trying to not attract attention, she sawed off the ropes that held her tiny hands together.  
  
********* Duke Red went into total depression. He didn't eat and drank very little. His once-very-sexy hair drooped like the branches of a weeping willow. Dr. Klunky, Skunk, and others close to Duke Red mourned also. The girl who would one day rule the Ziggurat was missing...in the very large city of Metropolis.......  
  
So, there's chapter 3. Don't worry, no one dies in these roleplays. Tis all pleasant. ^^ These roleplays were made on the message board found here: www.geocities.com/tezukametropolis ( 


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